Abstract
In the end of 1950’s, in Spain, there will be an economical improvement that will bring rural exodus to certain regions of the country, Euskadi among them. The arrival of thousands of workers will generate residential and equipment needs that won’t be satisfied by the destination cities and towns. The churches built in new neighborhoods will respond to this situation fulfilling its religious and social tasks. A closer attitude from the Church, even more after the Second Vatican Council, will contribute to a huge change in the programs of these buildings, compared to the ones constructed on the previous decades. During the 20th century a new architectural and artistic religious style will sprout, which will appear simultaneously in different countries, with high quality results. The austerity of spaces and the honesty of materials will be some of the features that will define the modern post-conciliar churches. The use of inexpensive materials will result in humble appearance architecture that will share characteristics with the Developmentalism period’s residential and industrial architecture. In the Basque Country the creation of new parishes will be a phenomenon that will affect mainly the capitals of the provinces and the towns nearby, as they will concentrate the economical industrial activity that will act as an attractor point. The modern churches will be unequally accepted among the people: they will have to confront the rejection of the most traditionalist sectors as they won’t approve the language change. At the same time, they will be widely accepted by the neighbors that helped with their creation, and also by the most ground-breaking architects. The buildings of the period between the economic development achieved by the technocrats and the industrial recession caused by the economic restructuring plan are studied together. An evaluation of the current state is made by studying the macroscopic damages and the carried out interventions. Likewise, the trajectory and the social acceptance of these modern religious buildings are researched, helped by the interviewing of the parish priests and the parishioners. This PHD intends to progress on the research and valuing of these buildings and to raise awareness about the condition they are in.
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